


Out of the Black

by ArgentumOriax



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Other, Pre-Spider Bite Peter Parker, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-18 08:16:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17577197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentumOriax/pseuds/ArgentumOriax
Summary: How did it feel when it came alive and took you?Out of the blackIt broke your skin and shook throughEvery part of me, every part of youThis is the story of Lisa Burke. A foster kid pushed to the end of her tether, tossed into the system as a series of unfortunate events take her parents from her and leave her stranded in New York with no other family to take her in. Years of questionable homes take their toll on her and leave her afraid to truly reach out and let herself get attached to anyone.This all changes after a fateful day out in the park leaves her with an alien being physically attached to her. She has to learn to deal with this new partner of hers while trying to maintain a normal life and strenuous friendships. Not an easy task when one of her best friends leads a double life of his own and gets wrapped up in a meeting with a certain venomous symbiote.





	1. It'd Be Safest If You Ran

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello there. Welcome to my first ever fic! I'm new to all of this and so I have no idea how to tag at all. I guess I'll add them as I go and as I figure it out, but for now thanks for taking a look at this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**27 th September, 2010**

**16:37**

_So, here we go again._

I reached over to grab the strap of my backpack as I leered at the apartment block that we had just parked outside of. Somewhere in there was to be my new foster home... number nineteen, if I was keeping track. I bit back a bitter laugh - one more and I would hit the twenties, what an accomplishment that would be.

“Well, here we are!” A too happy voice said from the driver’s seat. Light blue eyes met my green ones in the rear-view mirror, crinkled round the edges from a wide smile.

 _Rose._ My new ‘parent.’ I had to admit her name suited her; she was pretty nice but no nonsense if you tried to start anything with her. _Every rose has its thorns._ I learned that lesson pretty quick when I had went to test her limits, she bit back. _Hard._ She wasn’t one to get physical but she was damn vicious with words when she needed to be. But otherwise, pretty awesome all round until provoked.

I had known her for under a day but she was already winning the ‘most understanding’ award. She had insisted on being the one to pick me up from the Johnsons and she had mercifully let me keep my ear buds in throughout the drive here. I had no doubt she was going to talk my ear off later though, but that was something to deal with when it comes. For now the mission was to be moving my belongings out of here and into the apartment.

 I shifted in the car seat, leaning to take my cane in my left hand. It had become a comforting thing to grip to me over the years. It wasn’t anything fancy; it was purely practical - collapsible and black with a rough plastic handle. But at least it was mine.

There were few things that I could say that I owned. Most of my stuff was just clothes and even then they weren’t quite mine, either a size too big or a size too small. The only real things of value I had was my MP3 (An outdated thing that really looked more like a memory stick that was powered by a AA battery and could only hold a handful of songs) and the two matching wedding rings that hung round my neck at all times-stamped silver metal with bands of onyx. The only things left I had from my _actual_ parents. A bitter reminder of better times, old memories of my time in Quebec. _Oh, how I wished that I had never had to leave._

With my other hand, I pulled out my ear buds, released myself from my seat belt and took the shoulder strap of my backpack, the green fabric soft to the touch from a few years of wear and tear. It held a few of my clothes and some other bare essentials. The rest of my things were stuffed unceremoniously into a bin bag upon my sudden move from my previous foster home this morning. Let me tell you something, having to keep what basically amounts to your entire life in a bin bag... Well, it _really_ makes you feel like trash.

 “Well, um-” _Click._ Rose released her own seat belt and cracked open her door, letting a rush of cool autumn air in. “Shall we go? I hope my apartment isn’t too stuffy for you, I know you like your space, Lisa. Your bedroom _should_ be a reasonable size for you... But, you know... apartment space.” She said as she waved a hand, a warm smile on her face.

I smiled back, a practiced fake one to appease her. It might have been a _little_ wide around the edges but it did the job of hiding my fear. My _caution_. I could never give her a real smile; to smile was to be happy. To be happy was to like her and to like her was to get attached and to get attached, that... That was a death sentence for my sanity.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I said. _I’m sure I’ve been through worse._ I added in my thoughts as I shouldered my bag over my right arm, my left side was weak enough with the extra weight slung over it. “What floor is it?” I question her as I stepped out of the car, carefully supporting my weight on my cane. I could never be too careful these days.

“It’s, uh, right at the top.” She said, giving a passing glance at my support. “There’s an elevator though, so don’t worry. But, I’ll get your other bag for you anyway... Okay?”

“I’m not worrying.” I grumbled, my voice dry as I let my ‘smile’ drop from my face. Now _that_ was a blatant lie. I had been in a constant state of worry for four years now, but that’s another story. “I’ll be fine taking my bag.” I said, more of a reassurance to myself than to Rose.

“No, Lisa. I’ll get it. I don’t want you putting too much stress on your arm and leg, I know they hurt sometimes. You don’t need any extra weight on them.”

I cringed as she fished my bin bag out of the boot of her car, carefully looping it over her forearm. “Just ‘cause they’re a little weaker doesn’t mean I can’t carry it.” I said with a scowl.

I hated being called weak; it was like I was some sort of incapable cripple. It chafed at my pride... though even I had to admit that the cold air was already starting to agitate the metal plates in my joints, kicking the usual deep seated ache off. But still, it wasn’t like I was about to collapse if I tried to carry a bag!

I didn’t have time to protest it further though as Rose quickly scuttled off towards the building with my bag, leaving me to adjust my grip on my backpack and follow after her with my cane clicking against the pavement.

 

\--☯--

 

There wasn’t much to see inside the apartment complex, the hallways were sparsely decorated with a dull cream paint and a brown carpet but it held in heat pretty well at least. It was quickly warming me up, a small relief for my knee. The elevator that Rose had mentioned was tucked away in the back corner, all scuffed doors and worn down buttons.

We had just stepped inside it, pressing the button for the top floor when a nervous voice rang down the corridor. “Hey! Can you hold that please?!”

Rose reacted faster than I, well, I hadn’t really bothered to react but you get the idea. She quickly darted out to stop the door from closing, letting a lean kid dart in next to me. I awkwardly pulled my cane closer to my side, eyeing him. He was a little shorter than I was, wearing a shirt with some sort of maths joke which I didn’t understand. He was probably around my age, maybe 14 or 15, perhaps just a little younger judging from his height.

He grinned, slightly out of puff as he said, “Thanks Rose. I didn’t think I would handle going up the stairs today! You wouldn’t believe how heavy all my books can get...” He shook his head, adjusting a pair of glasses that were practically hanging off of his nose and righting a back pack that was almost as big as he was.

“I think I can believe it, all the heavy books I had to carry back in the day... Hardbacks, the lot of 'em. _You_ wouldn’t believe _me,_ kiddo _._ ” Rose chuckled, giving me a reassuring smile that really did nothing for me. “Oh! Lisa, this is Peter. He lives just next door to us.”

The kid, _Peter_ , I noted, looked at me as if he was just noticing me for the first time. “Oh! Uh, hi! Sorry, I should have said that _way_ sooner. I’m Peter. Peter Parker.” He said, holding out his right before glancing at my cane, quickly swapping out his hands so I could shake his without any trouble. It warmed a small part of me, seeing someone actually trying to be nice. People like that were far and few in most places I had been.

I withered under a meaningful glare Rose shot my way, a silent message to be polite so I awkwardly took his hand and shook it, pleading with whatever gods that would listen that my hands weren’t all weird and clammy. “Lisa Burke.” I said, trying to keep my tone even as I looked him in the eyes, his a dark brown that matched his hair.

Not a moment too soon the elevator dinged and let the doors slide open. Peter’s eyes lit up. “Well, Lisa, it was nice to meet you! I gotta go; I have _so_ much chemistry homework to do and many films to rewatch.” He said far too enthusiastically before bouncing off with a, “See ya later!” This kid had _way_ too much energy for his own good.

I let out a breath, loosening my grip on my cane as I watched him vanish into his apartment. I didn’t even know I was even capable of gripping it that tight. That hand was supposed to be pretty weak after all the surgery it had been through but apparently I could still make go white knuckled.

“I feel bad for that kid...” She gave me a sideways glance, lowering her voice even though he had already disappeared. “He's lost his parent’s too, you know. Plane crash, I think...” She stopped to bite her lip before shaking her head and saying, “Don’t tell him I told you, though. It’s a touchy subject... I – Wait, I suppose it is for you as well, actually, isn’t it... I should... just... stop talking, shouldn’t I?” Rose trailed off, awkwardly clearing her throat and sped off down the hallway.

I sighed, reaching for the pair of rings by my neck. _Dead parents... It’s_ always _a touchy subject, Rose._ Well, her ‘most understanding award’ just went right down the drain. _Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it._ I shook my head, and trudged after her in no hurry. I had a bad feeling that I was going to be stuck with her for a few months, I hoped she would try to keep her gossip to herself a little better.

 

\--☯--

 

And now came the part that I dreaded the most, actually having to move in. I hated it, what was the point of trying to settle when you could be whisked away again at anytime?

I had followed her through the mini tour of her apartment and, though I wasn’t paying too close attention, it was all obviously well decorated and kept tidy. There were photos hung on almost every wall, some of places (mainly pictures of beaches and parks) and the rest all held people in them. I didn’t get a chance to look too closely as she guided me to the bathrooms, making sure I knew where everything was. Everything was nicely done up and, again, extremely clean and neat.

And then there was the room where I would be staying.

Rose practically crept into the room, ever so carefully placing my bag at the foot of the bed. With a quiet sigh I followed suit, dropping my backpack so it sat alongside it. I eyed the rest of the room; the walls were each painted a dull white. The only real decorations were a few candle-holders hung on the wall though they were void of any actual candles.

There wasn’t much too look at to be brutally honest; few furnishings adorned the small room. A wooden bedside table matched the bed frame, barren save for a small lamp on its surface. A desk and chair, also all wooden (though the chair was cushioned), were pushed against the wall on the other side of the room, also bare with a lamp of its own. Beside that was a wardrobe which I had no doubt that it would be empty as well.

Overall, the best way I could describe the room would be to call it _neutral_. I supposed that was favourable considering that it was likely never meant to be a permanent room for anyone anymore but still... it was a little lacklustre and plain. Certainly uninspiring. And I wouldn’t be adding anything to it anytime soon.

 “So,” She gave me what she hoped would be a comforting smile. “Do you want any help unpacking or-”

“No.” I cut her off, leaning my cane a little closer to my body. “I’ll be fine.” The tone of my voice made me wince. It had come out a little harsher than I had intended but _maybe_ it would work out. Maybe it would discourage her from being too nice to me, from getting too close. After all, Rule 1: _Never_ get attached. If you get attached it only hurts you more when you inevitably have to leave.

She chewed at her lip before hesitantly nodding. “Okay, uh... well, make yourself at home. I’ll... be in the kitchen if you need me. Dinner should be ready soon. I’ll give you a shout.”

“Don’t.” I said. “Just... just save some for me to have later, I-I need a lie down right now.” Basically code for, _I_ really _don’t want to have to sit and eat with you. Just let me mope around in peace for the rest of the night on my own, thank you very much._

A scowl crossed her face, made up more of worry than any actual ill intent. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure. It’s... been a long day?”

“Hmm... well, okay, if you say so. I’ll see you in the morning, Lisa.” She gave me a final concerned glance which I refused to meet before shuffling out of the room, evidently picking up on the fact that I wasn’t in the mood to talk any more than that.

I didn’t think I would be talking to her too much any ways seeing as she seemed to be a bit of a gossip merchant, all the more reason to keep my cards close to my chest.

With that awkward interaction thankfully over, I sat down on the bed and propped my cane up beside me. I gave a few testing pokes to the mattress, I could feel a few loose springs but it wasn’t at the point where it would be uncomfortable to lie on and as far as I could tell the rest of the bedding was completely new, all of it coloured an unassuming cream and a little stiff and rough from a lack of wear.

I stretched my leg out, thankful that the weight was off of it. I hadn’t even been standing that long and it already started to ache, I could only guess that the chill from outside had set it off. One thing I doubted I would ever get used to was the feeling of the plates and pins in it. It had already been four years and the sensation still made me shudder. I gently slid my docs off and tossed them to the side of the bed, they had been growing a little tight in the past few months and it was also starting to irritate the metal in my ankle.

At this rate I was going to have to go and ask Rose if she had any painkillers. I could only hope that she wouldn’t try to coax a conversation out of me then. _Maybe I could just hole myself up in here and actually try to sleep through it like I said..._

 I ran my weaker hand over it, feeling the slightly raised skin under my sock and scowled. I could still remember what I used to look like, so many pins sticking out of my left side, struggling to hold my shattered limbs together... I had looked like a living – well, probably more _half dead_ – voodoo doll. It hadn’t felt too good either, it still didn’t. Now I was left with an almost constant ache and a _definite_ constant doubt over the idea that it was truly a good thing that I survived my... _incident_.

I shook my head, trying to shake the memory out of my brain. If I was going to be having a lie down... _that_ was the last thing I needed on my mind.

And so, I shrugged off my jacket, throwing it over the wooden chair in the room before rummaging around in my bin bag for a slightly oversized tank top and a pair of weathered leggings, switching them out from the plain grey shirt and faded jeans that I had been wearing. I didn’t own an actual set of pyjamas so these were my go to clothes for sleeping.

And with that, I practically threw myself into my new bed, hoping to get some sleep before the pain woke me up.


	2. She's Too Good to Me and I Can Barely Take It

_I looked through the car windows with baited breath, fingertips hooked around the bottom of my seat. So many buildings! The way the sunlight danced off of them all was beautiful, bright flashes of gold blinding my eyes eventually made me pull my gaze from them, forcing me to blink heavily to clear the hazy afterimages._

_“Hey Dad, how far are we from your house now?” I asked, eager to be starting a fresh life with him. Though I would be lying if I said I wasn’t upset, I was already missing my old friends. I was missing Ava, and the funny little doodles she would do on her work. I was missing Leo, ever the hyperactive one, always cracking jokes and forever getting in trouble with our teachers._

_And most of all, I was missing Mum. I couldn’t shake the final image I had of her. Coming down that fateful morning, worrying because I had woke up late for school. Rushing down the stairs, finding her sleeping on the couch. No... Too much drool stained her mouth, too much of it already dried. She wasn’t sleeping, I realised. I watched as her chest didn’t rise and fall, listened as she didn’t snore. It was then I noticed a needle standing straight, stuck in her arm. On instinct I knew to call an ambulance. On instinct I knew that there was nothing that they could do._

_A whimper almost escaped me but I bit it back, rubbing my eyes with a free hand before he could spot the tears. This was supposed to be a good day, right? Being reunited with Dad? Being in New York?_

_“Not far, sweetie. Just a couple more blocks now.” He said, keeping his eyes on the road._

_But he wouldn’t notice what was coming next. Neither of us would._

_Neither of us had time to speak as a car flew out of the roads across us. Smashing into the bus in front of us. It spun, toppling and landing on us. Metal screamed._

_Something crunched next to me._

_The noxious tang of fuel spilled out, the fumes leaking in from the shattered windshield._

_Shards of the glass flew, scratching and clawing and tearing into my face._

_Another crunch._

_Someone screamed. Maybe it was me._

_I couldn’t feel my leg. It was lost somewhere under the dashboard. I couldn’t feel my arm. Out of sight to the side of me, lost from my vision along with my Dad. The left of me was... was_ gone. _Replaced by searing, burning, tearing. Hot and bloody pain._

_But... my Dad was to my left too. Was he gone as well? No. No, he couldn’t be!_

_But I couldn’t look to check. I couldn’t move. Something pinned me. More creaking metal. The fumes of the fuel had changed, becoming the burnt, clingy smell of fire and smoke._

_Another crunch._

_And then everything went black._

\--☯--

**28 th September, 2010**

**03:49**

I woke with a scream. I was drowning in a nervous sweat. My stomach twisted itself into knots, flipping and turning inside out as it filled with the heavy rock of dread. My chest felt time and my lungs couldn’t get enough air in them, only filling with a suffocating fear that was quickly drowning me.

Hurriedly, I untangled myself from my now mangled duvet and bolted to the bathroom, holding back the fear created nausea. _Where was it? What had Rose told me? Down the hall, to the right._

I slammed into the door not a moment too soon, managing to grip onto the bowl just before bile finally forced its way from my throat. The horrible, guttural noises I was making only made matters worse, only made me feel even sicker. Tears burned my eyes, though not as much as the acid burned the back of my neck.

I was thankful that I hadn’t accepted Rose’s offer for food last night, it would only have brought on more of a mess now.

It took a while for my stomach to finally calm itself. It took even longer for my adrenaline rushed body to stop shaking so severely. I barely noticed the hall light flick on though I certainly felt it raze my eyes, only making them stream more as they tried to adjust to the sudden influx of light. This time I couldn’t bite back my whimper.

“Lisa..?” Rose’s tired voice echoed in my ears, I didn’t dare turn around to meet her. “Lisa, are you-oh. _Oh._ Oh, kid.” Her voice turned soft, sympathetic.

And I didn’t want any of it.

_I didn’t deserve it._

I heard her hurried footfalls come towards me; some form of motherly instinct drove her to hold my hair back, gingerly pulling the long strands away from my face.

_No. Nonono. This isn’t good. Too close. Too close._ Quickly, I pushed myself away from the porcelain, trying to swat her hands away from my sleep-matted hair.  The movement almost roused another wave of nausea, my stomach doing another half flip. “It’s nothing... just, please... I’m fine. I’m fine... I don’t need any help.” That was a lie. I wasn’t fine. I wanted nothing more than to reach out to her, to lean into her offered hug, to actually connect with her. But I couldn’t. If I got attached one more time... It would break me.

“ _Fine?_ Lisa, you-you...” Rose took a steadying breath, doing a far better job of composing herself than I was. “That was a-a panic attack! Lisa, were you... Were you dreaming about-?”

“Rose! Please, I-I... I don’t...  I, it was but-but I’m _fine_. Okay?” I cut her off before she could bring it up again, if that’s what she was even going to ask. I wasn’t sure if I could handle talking about since the mere thought had just set me off. “I’m used to it...” Another lie. Even after so many times I wasn’t used to it. I tried to ignore the breath I took through my nose sounding dangerously close to another sad sniff.

“Lisa...” Rose trailed off with an exasperated huff, taking the smallest step back. “You know I’m here to help, right?”

I finally managed to push myself off of my knees, a little shakily from the remaining adrenaline but otherwise fine. Well, apart from the cold tiles of the floor seeping into my bones and setting of the ache that I was hoping to sleep through. “I don’t...” I cringed, getting ready to swallow my pride. “Actually, do you... Can I have some-some painkillers? And, uh... some water?”

Another sigh, but it carried less weight this time. “Sure... do you want anything to eat as well? Something simple? Toast maybe?”

“Toast...” I chewed at my lip and caved, my stomach now deciding to do the talking for me. After going empty for a night and then turning itself inside out, well, it was demanding that I eat something, _anything_. “Toast sounds nice, actually.”

 

\--☯--

 

I sat nervously on her cream coloured couch, fearing a judgmental stare but... none came. She just slid two cut out tablets of Paracetamol and a tall glass of water towards me with a small smile and without a second glance.

She perched on the edge of the seat next to me, handing a plate over to me as I washed down the tablets. “I wasn’t sure how you liked it so I just lightly toasted it. I, uh, hope that’s alright for you.”

“That’s... That’s perfect, actually. Thanks.” The gratitude slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. _Merde._ I inwardly cursed, berating myself. _Stop being nice. You be nice, you get attached! That’s bad. Very,_ very _bad._

I was halfway through inhaling it when Rose asked, “Do you want to talk about it?” She spoke so gently that I almost missed it, whispering to me like I was a spooked, cornered animal. She wasn’t too far off.

I immediately froze at her question though, practically choking on bread crumbs as I took in a worried breath. “No.” I said. I didn’t care for talking about it even though numerous therapists had tried to convince me otherwise. It was supposed to help, they said. It only drug up the past that I had tried so hard to bury. Swallowing the last mouthful of toast I had, I put the plate to the side along with the half finished glass of water and gingerly brushed some crumbs from my top. I mumbled, “I’m going back to bed.”

“I-Lisa...” Rose bit at her cheek, but held her voice though her eyes conveyed a worry that I hadn’t seen in a while.

_She cares. She_ actually _cares..._ It hurt to turn my back on her, a bad sign. People who were genuinely nice were my kryptonite; I always ended up liking them. I always ended up being nice. _I always ended up having to leave them._

I hunched my shoulders, heading back to my designated room and slouched back onto the mattress. I wasn’t about to get anymore sleep though, instead I found my mind entertaining the thought of running away. Bolting before anyone else could hurt me. It wasn’t the first time I had fantasized about it but... that’s all it was. _A fantasy._ Realistically, I knew that it was a bad idea; a 14 year old kid like me wouldn’t last long out on the streets. Sure, there were some nice people out there, I had met them sometimes. A helpful stranger for when you got lost in the shops sometimes but the chances always seemed against you out in the wild, concrete jungle.

And so, here, I was trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title is from Wild Animal by Rival Sons


	3. I promise you, I'll take a bet on you

**28 th September, 2010**

**07:46**

Peter had been in the middle of rushing around, desperately trying to find a misplaced work book when someone knocked on his door.

“One second!” He shouted as he rummaged through a pile of old notes. He figured it was Aunt May since the knocks were ever so light-Uncle Ben’s knocks were usually a little harder. Stumbling back, uncoordinated from the rush he was in, he knocked a shirt away uncovering it. Of course! He must have covered it by accident, he had just thrown his shirt haphazardly off to the side before crashing out last night.

 His suspicions were confirmed when her voice rung out from the other side. “Hey Peter? If you don’t set off soon you’re gonna be late! Ben’s going to work soon so he won’t be able to drop you off! Oh, also there’s a girl at the door asking for you!”

“Yeah, okay!” _Wait, a girl?_ “Wait, hold on?” He paused mid shoving the math book into his bag while scrambling out of his door. “Who?” He asked, immensely confused. He had no idea who would be looking for him at this time, he considered Michelle but she only seemed to hang around him at school since she had no one else and he doubted she would come here at this time if it all.

May shrugged, reaching over to right his glasses which had somehow become crooked in his mad rush to pack. “I don’t know, never seen her before.”

Slinging his bag over his back, he made his way into the living room to find the mystery girl stuck halfway through some awkward small talk with Uncle Ben. He silently prayed that he wasn’t regaling her with some sort of awkward story, God forbid he bring up the toaster incident of 2005...

He watched as Uncle Ben’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. “Wow! Canada, it must get pretty cold up there, huh?”

The girl shifted awkwardly, fiddling with a set of rings round her neck as she played along with the conversation. “Yeah, it is pretty cold most of the time but it warms up in the summer. Used to hit over 30 degrees sometimes.”

“30...? Isn’t that still-Oh, wait, no you use Celsius up there don’t you. Sorry, I was thinking in Fahrenheit!” He laughed, his eyes crinkling behind his own glasses. “So that’s... 86, not too bad, same as our summers I guess.”

Meanwhile Peter was still stuck watching them, trying to figure out where he’d seen the brunette before. He frowned; he hadn’t seen her at school. At least he didn’t think so... It took him a moment to realise that it was the girl from the elevator from the night before. _Leah? No, that wasn’t right. Oh, wait it was,_ “Lisa! Hi, what are you... what are you doing here?”

Startled, she turned round to meet him. “Oh, uh, hey Peter. I... Rose was called into work early and she was supposed to show me where Midtown was this morning since I don’t really know where anything is here but now, well, um. She left a note. Said to ask you?”

“Midt-Oh, wait! Are you coming to my school?”

Lisa sighed, releasing her grip from the rings to hold on to the strap of her bag instead. “Oh, _that’s_ why she told me to ask you... Yeah, I guess I am.”

“That’s awesome!” He grinned; he figured it would be pretty cool to have a neighbour so close by that went to the same school; it was pretty much the perfect setting for a friendship. He watched from the corner of his eye as Aunt May smiled at him, though she gestured to her watch. “Oh! Yeah, right, um. We should probably go now otherwise we’re gonna be late.”

Lisa shrugged, pulling a dubious smile onto her face. “Alright then, lead the way.” She gestured to the door with her free hand.

Not sure what else to say, Peter nodded and took off, Lisa following closely behind. About half-way to the elevator, Uncle Ben had joined them, fiddling with his car key. A trio of awkward “Hi’s” were exchanged on the ride down before he went his own way and stepped into his car.

Peter could feel Lisa watching as he waved Uncle Ben off, watching as his car turned the corner and vanished before he cleared his throat to say, “So, it’s really not that far. It’s pretty much walking condition unless the weather sucks, but there’s a bus you can catch if it gets too bad. It’s also great if you’re running late, there’s a stop just outside the school that it hits just before the bell goes.”

Lisa nodded, carefully keeping note of his words. “Okay, that’s... pretty handy to know. I’ll definitely be catching the buses on colder days.”

He nodded, saying a quiet, “Yeah,” as he pulled out his phone. He was getting the distinct feeling that Lisa wasn’t much of a talker so instead he turned his attention to the news feed on his phone. He flicked idly through it, a dubious article on genetic engineering, a striking Captain America lookalike spotted in Brooklyn and a rocket crash in San Fran-the second rocket failure from the renowned Life Foundation and apparently their CEO had gone AWOL. Though the rockets brought another thought to his mind. “Hey, Lisa?”

“Hmmm?”

“You into sci-fi?”

She shrugged, shifting her backpack closer to the centre of her back. “Yeah, I guess it’s pretty cool. Why?”

A stupid, shit-eating grin started to form on his face. “Have you seen _Star Wars_?”

“Yeah?” Lisa frowned, watching his face turn with a look of suspicion on her own.

“And _Star Trek_?”

“Yup...” She nodded, “Wait, oh no, don’t a-”

“ _Star Trek_ or _Star Wars_? Which one’s better?”

She groaned, turning to regard a graffitied wall with a long suffering glare and tried to resist the urge to whack him around the head with her cane. “ _Allez!_ _Really?_ You... Going through the ‘Star’ movies and you’re not even gonna mention _Stargate?_ Cause _Stargate: Atlantis_ beats hell out of those franchises two combined alone!”

Peter scowled, throwing her a disbelieving look. “What? No way! _Star Wars_ wins all the way!”

“No, nope. _Stars Wars_ is... It’s pretty fun to watch, sure, but it’s pretty cliché when you think about it! Typical light vs. dark stuff, just with fancy laser swords.”

He spluttered, “Did-did you just call lightsabers ‘ _fancy laser swords?_ ’”

Lisa’s scowl turned into a shit-eating grin of her own and she couldn’t hold back her amused cackle, “Yeah! Yeah, I did!”

He stopped just outside of the school gates, muttering an exasperated, “Oh my god...” Only to get interrupted by mildly annoyed yell coming towards him.

“Peter! You’re almost late, man! I was starting to think you weren’t gonna show!” _Ned._

His friends voice almost immediately snapped him out of his sci-fi caused sulking, his face turning to a smile as he said, “Oh, hey! Yeah, sorry. Couldn’t find a book plus I woke up kinda late. Sorry Ned.”

He grinned back, “It’s all good but we are _so_ catching up on Clone Wars at lunch.” Ned shouldered his own bag, eyes flicking towards Lisa who was stood rather nervously next to Peter. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, faltering as he took in the littering of scars on her face. “Oh, uh, hi! Are... you new?”

“Yeah, I’m Lisa.”

Peter nodded, “She just moved in next to me and _for some reason_ thinks that _Stargate_ is better than _Star Wars..._ ”

Ned frowned, “Yeah, well I’ve never seen _Stargate_ but _Star Wars_ always wins. Rule of cool, man.”

At that, Lisa scowled at the both of them. “Oh great. There’s two of you...” She shook her head before turning to Peter. “So, where’s the office at? Still need to grab my timetable.”

He gestured vaguely with his hand towards the double doors. “Honestly, you can’t miss it. It’s just by the entrance, right in front of you once you walk in.”

“Perfect... I’ll leave you two to it. Bye guys.” She waved and walked off as fast as she could; though speed walking was difficult with a cane she had mastered the art.

Ned was the first one to speak up after she left with a quiet, “She seems weird.”

Peter just shrugged and angled his head to look back to him. “Dude, she thinks something beats _Star Wars._ What _isn’t_ weird about that?” He cracked a grin, “We need to get her on our side, convince her that it’s way better than _Stargate._ Like, seriously? Weird evil Egyptian eels against _Darth Vader_? Come on, it’s a no brainer!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter did NOT want to be written...
> 
> Title is from Figure It Out by Royal Blood.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is Out of the Black by Royal Blood while the chapter name comes from Blood in the Cut by K.Flay.


End file.
